Some lucky souls play the odds, but others stack the deck for the sake of putting on a show. These canny entertainers live by the saying, “Fortune favors the bold,” and they profit by it in both reputation and compensation.
The magician is an archetype of the gambler class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The magician mainly focuses on DEX for combat and CHA for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Beginner’s Luck. 2nd – Gambler Gambit. 4th – Gambler Gambit. 5th – Professional Gambler, Breaking Even. 6th – Gambler Gambit. 7th – Know When to Run. 8th – Gambler Gambit. 9th – Know When to Walk Away. 10th – Gambler Gambit. 12th – Gambler Gambit. 14th – Gambler Gambit, Check. 16th – Gambler Gambit. 18th – Gambler Gambit. 20th – Gambler Gambit.
Cantrips (Su)
Magicians learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume MP and may be used again. Magicians begin with 2 0-level Illusionist spells and gain an additional 0-level spell every four levels after 1st level.
This ability replaces beginner’s luck.
Tricks of the Trade (Su)
A magician never reveals his secrets, which means that his audience hasn’t a clue how he accomplishes his favorite spectacles. At 2nd level, a magician gains one magician trick. He gains an additional magician trick every even level thereafter. A magician cannot select an individual magician trick more than once. Magician tricks require a magician to spend at least one luck point unless otherwise noted.
Blind Cut (Su): By spending a luck point, as a swift action, the magician invites a designated opponent to make an attack of opportunity against him with a -6 penalty. If the attack misses, the magician may either respond with an attack of his own with a +2 enhancement bonus, or he may force the opponent to move up to 10 feet to a position of the magician’s choosing.
Flourish (Ex): By spending a luck point, the magician may select a target and use the Perform skill as a standard action. By meeting a DC of 10 + the target’s CR, the magician can force the target to make a Will save (DC 10 + half the gambler’s level + his Charisma modifier). If the target fails the save, the target is inflicted with the Fascinated status for a number of rounds equal to the magician’s Charisma modifier.
Gimmick (Ex): By spending a luck point, the magician may treat his held melee weapon as if he had the warrior’s Chosen Weapon class feature, treating his gambler level as his effective warrior level for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier. Activating this ability requires a swift action.
Magic Dust (Su): By spending a luck point, the magician may, as an immediate action, provide a +2 circumstance bonus to an ally’s save or skill check within 30 feet. Once the magician reaches 12th level, this circumstance bonus becomes a +4.
Magician’s Deck (Su): The magician uses what tricks he knows to suffuse his Throwing Cards with magic. He may, as a swift action, spend 1 luck point to grant all of his throwing cards a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 2nd the cards gain another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. These bonuses can be added to the cards, stacking with existing enhancements to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves. These bonuses cannot be used to add special abilities to the cards.
Palm (Ex): By spending a luck point, the magician can use Sleight of Hand as a free action and act as though he had the Greater Steal feat until the end of his next turn. If the magician already has Greater Steal, this effect stacks with it.
Peek (Su): As a swift action, the magician may spend a number of luck points up to his Charisma modifier; for the duration of minutes equal to the number of luck points expended, the magician gains the effects of True Seeing.
Prestidigitation (Su): Whenever the magician is performing for an audience of more than 4 (if in combat, then in the presence of 4 or more enemies), he may add a +2 circumstance bonus to his Perform rolls for every five magician levels he possesses. No luck point is required.
Riffle (Ex): As part of a normal attack action, the magician may attack a number of opponents with his Throwing Cards equal to the number of luck points he spends, up to his Charisma modifier.
Shell Game (Su): By spending a luck point, the magician may switch places with an adjacent creature (whether enemy or ally) as a move action; doing so provides the magician with a +2 Dexterity enhancement bonus until the end of his next turn. A moved ally also gains a +2 Dexterity enhancement bonus until the end of the ally’s next turn, while a moved enemy receives a -2 Dexterity penalty until the end of its next turn.
Stack (Ex): By spending a luck point, as a swift action, the magician may maximize his Throwing Cards damage value for the next time that the magician uses his cards to attack an enemy. If his next attack misses, the maximized damage persists until the magician makes a successful attack.
Wand Handling (Su): For a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier, the magician may cast a spell from a wand without counting it towards the wand’s remaining uses. No luck point is required.
This ability replaces gambler gambits.
Professional Performer (Ex)
At 5th level, the magician adds half his magician level to all Bluff, Escape Artist, Perform, and Sleight of Hand skill checks.
This ability replaces professional gambler.
Nothing Up My Sleeves (Su)
No one really knows where a magician keeps his things or how he seems to pull them from midair. At 5th level, the magician may treat his carry limit as though his Strength score were 2 points higher. At 12th level, he may treat it as though it were 4 points higher. Additionally, he may act as though he has the Quick Draw feat, though he is able to apply its effects to any item that fits in one hand (including alchemical items, potions, scrolls, and wands).
This ability replaces breaking even.
Now You See Me (Sp)
The magician is a savant in the art of misdirection. At 7th level, the magician may cast Vanish as a spell-like ability up to 3 times per day, using his gambler level as his caster level. At 14th level, he may cast Vanishga as a spell-like ability instead.
This ability replaces know when to run.
Watch Me Pull a Rabbit Out of My Hat (Su)
No magician’s routine is complete without a top hat and a concealed fuzzy animal. At 9th level, so long as he is wearing a hat or headgear of some sort, the magician may attempt to summon a creature by rolling Sleight of Hand as a standard action. The magician must roll against the closest enemy’s Perception roll, but may add his Bluff modifier by spending a luck point. If he succeeds, then he may cast a Summon Monster spell, using his gambler level as his caster level. The spell’s magnitude is limited to a quarter of the magician’s level, rounded down. The magician may use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier.
This ability replaces know when to walk away.
Mentalism (Su)
A talented magician knows not only how to direct his opponent’s gaze, but also to guess his mind at a glance. At 14th level, the magician may select an opponent as a swift action. For a number of rounds equal to the magician’s Charisma modifier, whenever that target takes an action directed at the magician (including area of effect spells or abilities), the magician may choose one of the following as an immediate action:
- Perform an attack of opportunity (provided the target is in range), and then take a 5 feet step.
- Move 10 feet without provoking an attack of opportunity from the target.
- Spend 1 luck point to force the opponent to reroll at a -2 penalty.
- Spend up to his Charisma modifier in luck points; for a number of rounds equal to the luck points expended, the magician adds an insight bonus to his AC equal to his Charisma modifier against that opponent.
The magician may use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier.
This ability replaces check.
